Chapter 151: Victory in Battle
Tony and Obadiah Stane's iron monger armor fought until sparks flew everywhere.
Initially, the Mark 42 components had not fully arrived, so Tony could only dodge clumsily under the iron monger's bombardment, narrowly avoiding having his head smashed by those mechanical heavy fists wrapped in the high heat of Extremis several times.
"Run, Tony! Is that all you can do, hide?! Fight me to the death!" Obadiah Stane laughed wildly inside the iron monger, power at full capacity, bombarding Tonyrelentlessly.
However, as the final piece of leg armor locked into place, the gold and red Mark 42 finally completed its full assembly.
"Jarvis, start full power!" Tony hovered in mid-air, his palm repulsors and chest reactor charging simultaneously. A blinding white light tore through the smoke and dust. "Old man, the times have changed!"
A torrent of energy poured down, and the iron monger's thick armor began to crack and flake off under the high-frequency impact of the new reactor.
Even with Obadiah Stane resisting crazily thanks to Extremis, he could not make up for the absolute disadvantage caused by the technological gap.
The iron monger was eventually dismantled by Tony into pieces, but the exposed Obadiah Stane did not surrender.
His entire body was scarlet, muscles knotted, and magma-like heat flowed from his severed parts; he actually relied on his physical body to clash head-on with Tony's Iron Man Suit.
"Damn it, how is this old guy even more durable than the Hulk?!" Tony's arm went numb from the impact, and he cursed inwardly while watching the opponent's wounds heal rapidly.
On the other side, the duel between Wanda and Killianhad reached a fever pitch.
Killian's arms turned into molten blades, each swing bringing up monstrous waves of fire, the high heat melting the surrounding metal railings into molten iron.
He roared crazily, his injured parts regenerating rapidly under the effects of Extremis.
Wanda's red hair flew in the heat waves, her eyes blood-red.
At first, her use of Chaos Magic was still raw, and she could only passively construct dark red shields to block the flames, but as her battle instincts awakened, she began to counterattack.
"Your flames are mine now." Wanda gripped the air with both hands, and the Chaos Magic wound around Killian's flames like a spider web, forcibly annihilating the high-temperature energy from within.
Killian discovered with horror that his regeneration speed was slowing down drastically under the erosion of the Chaos Magic.
Wanda seized the opening, the dark red energy condensing into a giant palm, and with one strike, half of Killian's body collapsed, his bones shattered.
In the corner, that Arab sorcerer waved his emerald staff, constantly summoning wind blades, earth spikes, and fire snakes, launching fierce attacks at Chen Mo.
"Tsk, elemental magic? That's a bit unconventional." Chen Mo drew a circle with his right hand, and the Shield of Seraphim easily blocked all attacks.
I don't know if elemental magic is inferior to dimensional magic, or if The Mandarin didn't teach him well.
That Arab sorcerer just kept repeating those same few moves.
In the end, Chen Mo felt truly bored.
"Sword of the Vishanti."
A flash of cold light passed, and the sorcerer's head was severed by Chen Mo, ending this farce.
"It's over, Obadiah Stane."
Seeing Chen Mo finish his battle, Tony did not want to delay any longer.
His chest reactor glowed brightly, and the high-energy particle beam began to focus, ready to blast ObadiahStane's head into dust.
At the critical moment, a streak of dark red energy swept across, precisely deflecting Tony's charged attack.
"Hey!" Tony was knocked back half a step and turned his head to look at the source of the energy.
Wanda had solved Killian at some point; her long hair was moving without wind, and Chaos Magic formed a storm around her.
She walked step by step toward Obadiah Stane, her eyes filled with a blood feud suppressed for ten years.
"His life is mine." Wanda looked at Tony with a cold voice.
Just as Obadiah Stane climbed up from the ground, Wanda's right hand reached out through the air.
"Arghhh!" Obadiah Stane let out a shrill scream.
In the horrified gaze of everyone, the Extremis energy in his body was forcibly stripped away by Wanda, turning into wisps of scarlet threads that were pulled out of his body and absorbed into Wanda's palm.
Losing the support of the virus, Obadiah Stane instantly aged and shriveled, turning back into that withered, gaunt old man.
"For Sokovia... for Mom and Dad..." Wanda whispered tearfully, her five fingers suddenly tightening.
Snap!
Obadiah Stane's neck was snapped by an invisible force. Immediately after, the Chaos Magic crushed over like a millstone, grinding his remaining body and his sinful soul into powder, which scattered with the wind.
With her revenge achieved, Wanda's knees went weak, and she knelt on the ground as her long-accumulated tears burst forth like a dam.
"Dad! Mom! I did it... I avenged you!"
Chen Mo walked to her side without a word, just crouching down to pull her trembling body into his arms, his broad palm gently patting her back.
Tony opened his mouth, looking at the mess everywhere and the crying girl, finally swallowing his teasing words. He silently walked over to Potts, took off his damaged faceplate, and sought comfort from his girlfriend.
The two couples hugged each other, comforting one another.
Only Pietro stood there alone, ignored; he felt as if he could hear a few crisp barks in his ears.
The mournful cry of a lonely dog seemed particularly jarring at this moment.
"Sigh..." Pietro sighed, silently walking to the side to study the staff of the Arab sorcerer killed by Chen Mo, trying to cover up his embarrassment in this way.
Just as everyone was preparing to evacuate, the built-in communicator in Tony's armor suddenly sounded Jarvis's urgent alarm.
"Sir, Colonel Rhodes has sent an urgent call recording!"
Tony's expression tightened, and he immediately signaled everyone to be quiet, pressing the play button.
The communication channel immediately broadcasted Rhodes's extremely anxious voice, even with heavy panting.
"Tony! Where are you?! Listen, there's no time to explain! Those damn Terrorists, they've captured the President! Intelligence shows they are preparing to secretly transport the President out of the United States by cargo ship!
The location is the No. 7 abandoned warehouse area at the third pier on the outskirts of the city! Come quickly! If you're late, it'll be too late!"
As soon as the voice finished, the recording stopped abruptly; clearly, Rhodes had disconnected in a hurry.
"Damn it!" Tony's expression changed drastically, and he immediately ordered Jarvis, "Lock onto all information for the No. 7 warehouse area at the third pier immediately! Satellite images, structural diagrams, I want it all!"
"Processing now, sir." Jarvis was highly efficient, instantly projecting the coordinates, topographic map, and real-time surveillance footage onto Tony's faceplate display.
Tony looked at Chen Mo, but Chen Mo had already turned to look at Wanda and Pietro first.
"You two take Potts back to New York first; Tony and I will go handle this."
After speaking, he turned to Tony and poured a bucket of cold water on him.
"Although I don't want to discourage you, since the other party dared to kidnap the President, they definitely have plenty of manpower. Just the two of us, saving the person is easy, but wiping out that bunch of scum in one go is probably going to be tough. You need to call for backup."
Hearing this, Tony scratched his hair irritably. "It's the middle of the night, and moving the military takes time; it's just not fast enough! Those people from S.H.I.E.L.D. are probably still in Washington."
But then a flash of madness crossed his eyes. "But that's okay! Jarvis, initiate the House Party Protocol! Send all my suits to that coordinate! As many as there are!"
"Command confirmed, House Party Protocol initiated." Jarvis replied.
"Fine, then we'll use the tin cans to hold the fort first." Chen Mo nodded, stepped to Tony's side, and reached out to place a hand on his armored shoulder.
"Hold on tight. Did you bring your motion sickness pills?"
"Wha..."
Before Tony could react, the surrounding space twisted violently like water ripples.
The next second, the salty, humid sea breeze hit their faces, and the two had appeared directly on top of a shipping container.
Chapter 152: The Mandarin
The two of them lay in the shadows atop a container, looking down by the light of the moon.
With a quick scan, there were no fewer than a hundred well-equipped armed personnel on the dock.
Aside from a dozen or so sorcerers dressed in robes and holding magical artifacts, the rest were all wearing knock-off versions of the Iron Man armor, resembling a private armed legion.
"Tsk, quite a big scene," klein clicked his tongue and nudged the tin can beside him with his elbow.
"But Tony, have you thought this through? These guys kidnapped the President wearing bootleg armor. After this, public opinion will come for you, the authentic Iron Man, first. It won't be easy to clear your name once they've pinned this on you."
"Che, what is there to fear!" Tony rolled his eyes under his faceplate, his voice as arrogant as ever.
"I have plenty of money and a team of lawyers! Besides, who dares to mess with my technology? These scumbags are the ones infringing on my rights; I'm just protecting my intellectual property!"
Having said that, he pointed toward a heavily guarded standalone container in the distance.
"That looks like the command center; that old fogey, The Mandarin, is probably inside. I'll draw them away while you take the chance to slip in and get the President out."
"No need for that," klein's gaze swept over the area, finally landing on a towering gantry crane, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"That's a decoy. The President isn't in the container; he's over there."
Tony followed his gaze and saw a familiar figure suspended from two crane hooks.
It was the War Machine armor he had given to Rhodes!
"They've locked the President inside the War Machinearmor and hung him in mid-air. Rhodes is likely the one in the container. They're playing a game of 'luring the tiger away from the mountain'."
"Fuck!" Tony cursed. "When did these Terrorists get so tactical?"
"You go rescue the President, I'll go to the container to save Rhodes and meet The Mandarin while I'm at it," klein quickly assigned the tasks.
"When your House Party Protocol arrives, let those tin cans clean up the fodder; those robed sorcerers are mine."
"No problem, pleasure doing business with you!" Tonydidn't waste words; the thrusters at his feet ignited instantly, and the gold and red figure soared into the sky, intentionally leaving a conspicuous trail of flame as he headed straight for the War Machine on the crane.
"Enemy attack! It's Iron Man!" The Steel Soldiers on the ground immediately spotted the target, and a massive amount of firepower was instantly drawn toward Tony.
klein took advantage of the chaos to step out from the shadows, swaggering toward The Mandarin, who was surrounded by a crowd in the center of the field.
The Mandarin was dressed in luxurious robes and wearing ten rings on his fingers. Looking at the approaching klein, there was only a hint of offended displeasure on his face.
"It seems those two useless fools, Killian and Obadiah, failed to accomplish anything. As expected, modern technology and mutant freaks are ultimately unreliable."
klein picked his ear with a look of disdain.
"What era is this, and you're still dreaming of restoring a feudal dynasty? It wasn't easy to live for hundreds of years; why not cherish it instead of coming out here to seek death?"
"Presumptuous! How dare you disrespect My Lord!" a sorcerer beside The Mandarin shouted sternly.
Before the words had even faded, several black-robed sorcerers raised their staves simultaneously. Wind blades, fireballs, and earth spikes poured toward klein like a rainstorm, vowing to tear this arrogant fellow to pieces.
Facing the sorcerers' overwhelming magical bombardment, klein didn't even bat an eyelid.
He casually raised his right hand, and the Shield of Seraphim flowing at his fingertips instantly expanded, turning into a translucent golden wall of light blocking his front.
The magic hit the wall of light like mud falling into the sea, only causing a few ripples.
"Is this all you've got? Did The Mandarin not teach you well? Is he holding back, or did you just not get the memo? Use some strength!" klein laughed contemptuously.
The leading sorcerer's face turned ashen. He bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto his staff, shouting, "Form the array! Summon the Flame Demon's Hand!"
Several sorcerers quickly shifted positions, their mana converging. In mid-air, a giant demonic claw composed of lava and black smoke appeared out of nowhere, slamming down toward klein with a heatwave smelling of sulfur.
"Now this is getting interesting."
klein didn't dodge; instead, he closed in, clenching his right fist as Speed Force and Haki condensed on his knuckles.
There were no fancy techniques, only pure speed and power.
klein's fist struck first, directly piercing through that massive Flame Demon's Hand!
The lava claw exploded like a punctured balloon, and the violent backlash instantly shattered the staves of those sorcerers.
The sorcerers all spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed weakly, their eyes filled with terror.
klein opened the five fingers of his left hand, and crimson-gold Phoenix Fire suddenly flared up in his palm. "Let me show you what real fire looks like."
He pushed forward, and the Phoenix Fire was like a raging dragon emerging from the sea, instantly engulfing the sorcerers. They couldn't dodge in time; the moment the flames touched them, they vanished, vaporized by the high temperature before they could even scream.
The Mandarin's expression finally changed. An ice-blue ring on his hand lit up, and a cold current surged out, barely managing to withstand the residual power of the Phoenix Fire.
But the remaining black-robed sorcerers were already in total disarray.
On the other side, Tony had already reached the top of the tower crane.
"Jarvis, calculate the optimal rescue path!" Tony dodged the Steel Soldiers' gunfire while using his palm cannons to precisely snipe the hook chains.
Amidst flying sparks, the chains snapped, and the War Machine armor fell downward.
Tony dove down, catching it steadily before the armor hit the ground, and knocked on the faceplate. "Mr. President, can you still breathe?"
A weak but pleasantly surprised voice came from inside: "Stark? God, you finally made it!"
"Sit tight, I'm taking you out of here!" Tony hoisted War Machine onto his shoulder and opened his thrusters to the max, weaving through the hail of bullets.
But there were too many enemies, and the net of fire grew denser. He could only struggle to hold on with his damaged Mark 42.
"Why hasn't the House Party arrived yet?!" Tony roared into the communicator.
"Final calibration complete, sir." Just as Jarvis finished speaking, the sound of dense air-breaking echoed from the horizon. Dozens of gold and red Iron Man armors streaked across the night sky like meteors, whistling as they arrived!
"They're finally here!" Tony's spirits lifted. "Jarvis, authorize all armors to fire at will. Start clearing the area!"
Instantly, the sky was lit up by the light of pulse cannons and micro-missiles, with explosions echoing one after another.
The Mark series armors were like tigers in a flock of sheep, and the previously arrogant armed legion was instantly routed.
"Haha! My boys! Hit them hard!" Tony was in high spirits as he controlled his main armor to land beside klein, raising an eyebrow triumphantly.
"How about it? Isn't it cool? This is the real steel torrent!"
"It's alright, a bit flashy." klein voiced his disdain but still nodded in approval. "The clearing efficiency is quite high, though."
With the addition of the Iron Legion, the situation on the battlefield reversed instantly.
Those knock-off armors were no match for the authentic Mark series and were quickly cleared out.
Seeing that the situation was lost, The Mandarin, under the desperate cover of a few trusted sorcerers, activated a certain teleportation spell. His figure vanished in a flash of green light, leaving behind only a harsh warning.
"Mortal, we shall meet again! The dignity of the ten ringsshall not be profaned!"
"Tsk, think you can run?" klein curled his lip.
Chapter 153: The ten rings
"I'll leave the rest of the cleanup to you. I'm going to deal with The Mandarin once and for all so he doesn't cause any more trouble," klein said to Tony.
"Go ahead, I can handle things here," Tony nodded.
Afghanistan, an ancient castle deep in the mountains.
Inside the dim hall, the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
The Mandarin sat high on his throne, his face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.
He had just fled back in a sorry state via a teleportation spell, and his robes were even stained with the blood of his subordinates.
"My Lord," a trusted sorcerer knelt on the ground and asked cautiously, "Your servant is slow-witted. Back at the pier, why didn't we fight that man to the death?"
"If we could have killed him, not only would it have intimidated S.H.I.E.L.D., but it would also..."
"Stupid!"
The Mandarin slammed his hand down on the armrest, and the jade-carved chair arm shattered instantly.
The Mandarin sat on his high seat with a dark expression; he couldn't very well say he had felt a lethal threat from the opponent, as that would damage his dignity too much.
He waved his hand with feigned profundity.
"What do you know? The President of the United States is just one part of the plan, not the whole thing."
"To fight a decisive battle against a monster-level figure at that narrow pier for a mere puppet—the terrain was unfavorable, and the casualties would have been immense. It wasn't worth it!"
"We must look at the big picture. Once I have fully understood all the mysteries of the ten rings, I will set a trap to lead him into a dead end and kill him in one strike!"
He spoke these high-sounding words as if the retreat were some profound strategic consideration.
"Oh? Whose life are you planning to spare? And what else are you planning? Tell me, I'm listening."
A playful voice suddenly echoed through the empty hall.
The Mandarin and his sorcerers were startled and whipped their heads toward the source of the sound.
They saw klein, who had appeared by a stone pillar in the hall at some unknown time, leaning leisurely against it with his arms crossed, watching them.
The Mandarin's pupils shrunk, and the terror in his heart instantly turned into humiliated rage!
"You dare to follow me here?! You're looking for death!"
Having an enemy sneak into his own base silently was an absolute disgrace!
"Take him down!"
The trusted sorcerers also reacted quickly, waving their staves as curses, frost, and Arcane Missiles rained down on klein like a storm.
"Noisy."
klein didn't even look at those small fry; he just gave a casual wave of his hand.
The magic of the Vishanti spread out like a shockwave. The sorcerers, along with their spells, were instantly blasted away, slamming into the walls with their fates unknown.
klein brushed the dust off his hands. "I wanted to see what kind of trump card you had, but is this it? How disappointing."
The Mandarin's face turned ashen, killing intent surging in his eyes as the ten rings on his hands lit up simultaneously with a blinding light!
"Arrogant fool! I spared your life, yet you dared to follow me to your death! Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Before his voice had even faded, a terrifying aura erupted from The Mandarin. The ten rings shone with brilliant light, and various elemental powers—frost, fire, whirlwind, and lightning—intertwined around him.
He was an ancient mage who had cultivated for hundreds of years with a deep foundation. Now, bolstered by the ten rings, his strength had already stepped onto the threshold of the half-step Father-God level.
He was just one step away from the true Skyfather level of the likes of the Ancient One and Odin, roughly equivalent to Hela in her prime.
"Come, let's see what you're really made of," klein beckoned with his finger.
"Arrogant!" The Mandarin roared, waving his hands as a violent torrent of energy instantly submerged klein's position.
A huge gap was blasted into the hall's wall, and two figures fought their way from inside the castle out into the surrounding wilderness.
The Mandarin used various elemental magics with ease, sometimes summoning meteors from the sky and other times tearing the earth apart, his offensive incredibly fierce.
This was indeed an opponent who could make klein get a bit more serious.
klein stopped merely defending and began to use his various abilities in turn.
The magic of the Vishanti constructed spells that integrated offense and defense, and the occasional hint of power from the Phoenix Force made The Mandarin's heart jump in fear.
The two fought from the ground into the air. Violent energy shockwaves leveled the surrounding sand dunes, and the ancient castle continued to collapse in the aftershocks.
After an earth-shattering battle, klein finally caught a flaw during a head-on clash. A punch pierced through The Mandarin's defenses, and the Phoenix Force instantly invaded his meridians.
The Mandarin screamed and fell like a meteor, smashing a deep pit into the ground.
He struggled to get up, only to find that his internal organs had been burned to ashes by the Phoenix Fire, and the light of the ten rings had grown dim.
klein descended from the sky and stepped on his chest, the immense force pinning him down.
"Spare... spare my life!" The Mandarin coughed up blood, his face filled with terror and a desperate desire to live.
"I am willing to offer up the ten rings! They possess infinite power! As long as you don't kill me, I can serve you and help you conquer the World!"
"You're confused," klein interrupted his plea, bending down and grabbing his head with one hand, his fingers applying pressure.
"If you're dead, the rings will still be mine."
"No—!!!" The Mandarin let out a desperate roar.
Crack!
The sound of a skull fracturing rang out. This ambitious ancient mage, along with his dreams of empire, was ruthlessly ended by klein.
klein disgustedly shook the brain matter off his hand, then bent down to pick up the ten rings scattered on the ground one by one, pocketing them.
Then, he turned to look at the remaining sorcerers and guards trying to flee, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
A few minutes later, the entire castle and the surrounding camp were turned into a sea of fire. Violent explosions completely erased all traces of the place.
klein's figure vanished instantly against the backdrop of the explosion's light, leaving behind only a field of blazing ruins.
New York, the top floor of Stark Tower.
Tony had just handed the President and Rhodes over to the Military and returned home. He was about to take off his armor and have a drink...
...when he saw klein's figure appear out of thin air.
"Done?"
"Yeah, both the guy and his nest are gone."
"If you'd arrived five minutes earlier, you would've seen the President almost calling me Daddy."
klein rolled his eyes at him and pulled a bottle of ice water from the fridge.
"The higher they lift you, the harder you'll fall. Right now, they might treat you like a savior, but once the public opinion simmers for a couple of days and the hearings begin, those politicians will dump all the blame on you just to save their own skins."
"Believe me, in a couple of days, someone will jump out and accuse your technology leak of causing this attack."
"Pfft, like I'd be afraid of them?" Tony shrugged dismissively.
"I have plenty of money and a legal team to play along. Besides, don't I have you? If anyone dares to subpoena me, you can just go corner them in their bathroom and scare the piss out of them!"
"Screw off, am I your personal thug?" klein cursed, then looked around. "Where are Wanda and the others?"
"They went to grab a late-night snack with Potts. I specifically waited for you. How's that for being a good friend?!"
"Let's go." klein tossed the water bottle onto the table. "After working all night, it'd be a crime not to have a good meal."
Chapter 154: Fury is Dead?
Ever since klein helped Wanda personally settle the score with Obadiah Stane, ending the decade-long blood feud that had haunted the siblings, Wanda's feelings for klein had completely sublimated into a near-blind, submissive attachment.
Those little games she used to stubbornly refuse to cooperate with, she would now agree to with a red face and gritted teeth as long as klein asked.
There was even one time when klein returned from a friendly match with Natasha with a few red marks on his neck; Wanda simply pretended not to see them, took his clothes, and turned around to heat a cup of milk for him.
Of course, klein wouldn't mistreat his own woman. He distributed the ten rings he had seized from The Mandarin.
Five of the rings, which leaned toward strengthening physical defense and enhancing melee combat, were forcibly refined by Wanda under his direction.
This greatly improved her physical fitness and strike resistance, ensuring she was no longer a fragile mage who would be in dire straits once an enemy closed the distance.
The other five rings, which possessed long-range energy projection and elemental manipulation functions, were given to Pietro.
This not only compensated for Pietro's lack of long-range methods—saving him from the embarrassment of only being able to deal chip damage with speed or being kited—but also perfected the siblings' combat system.
That afternoon, klein was in the middle of researching a new game with Wanda on the second floor. Just as Wandawas blushing furiously and klein reached a critical moment, his phone suddenly rang.
"Ignore it!" klein didn't stop his movements.
However, the ringtone was as persistent as a death curse, vibrating over and over again.
A trace of clarity returned to Wanda's dazed eyes. Panting, she reached out to fumble for the phone on the nightstand. Catching a glimpse of Hill's name on the screen, she pushed him while gasping for breath.
"Answer it first... it keeps ringing, there must be something urgent."
klein gave an annoyed click of his tongue, grabbed the phone, and answered, saying in an unfriendly tone,
"What is it, Hill? Is your hair on fire? Why the rush? You'd better tell me the sky is falling."
On the other end of the line, Hill's voice carried a rare hint of exhaustion.
"mr. klein! I don't know who to trust right now. You're the only outsider I can fully trust. S.H.I.E.L.D. has a traitor, and Director Fury has been murdered.
I've had to go into hiding. Can we meet? I have important matters that must be discussed in person."
Hearing that Fury was dead, klein felt no ripples in his heart; he even felt like laughing. His mind was currently filled with the game he hadn't finished, so he had no time to care about the life or death of that Black Braised Egg.
"Fine, I'll come find you in a bit. I can track your location. Hanging up."
After saying that, he tossed the phone aside and flipped over to press Wanda back down.
"Who was it?" Wanda asked, her arms around his neck.
"Just some S.H.I.E.L.D. nonsense, don't worry about them." klein lowered his head to kiss her. "Let's continue, we're right at the critical moment."
More than an hour later, klein took a refreshing shower and changed into clean clothes.
Based on the call signal source that Red Queen had reverse-tracked, he pinpointed Hill's location.
"I'd like to see what kind of play this Black Braised Egg is putting on now." klein snorted coldly, and with a flicker of his body, he vanished from the room.
In a safe house hidden deep underground somewhere in Pennsylvania.
Hill was keeping a vigilant watch in front of the surveillance screens when suddenly, the air rippled like the surface of water, and klein's figure appeared without warning.
"Beep beep beep—!!"
A piercing intrusion alarm instantly echoed through the cramped space.
Hill stiffened in fright, drew her gun, and turned around. Only after seeing who it was did she let out a long sigh of relief, clutching her chest with lingering fear.
"mr. klein! Can't you use the front door or give a heads-up? My stress response almost made me empty the magazine!"
"Didn't you say Fury was dead? For such great news, I had to rush over to pay my respects and see if there's a funeral feast to attend."
klein carelessly scanned the simple shelter, his gaze finally landing on a cot.
It was covered with a white sheet, outlining the silhouette of a human form.
"Oh, he's really gone cold?"
With a mocking sneer, klein walked to the bedside, unceremoniously grabbed the wrist of the corpse on the bed, and placed his fingers on it.
"Tsk tsk, no pulse. Looks like he's truly dead and gone."
Just as Hill opened her mouth to explain something, a wicked grin curled on klein's lips, and crackling azure electric arcs suddenly appeared in his palm!
High-voltage current followed klein's fingers and violently surged into Fury's arm!
"Aow!!!"
With a shrill scream, the supposedly dead Nick Furybounced straight up from the bed, his body emitting black smoke and his single eye bulging wide.
"Fuck! klein! Are you trying to fucking electrocute me?!"
"Oh my!"
klein took an exaggerated step back, pointed at the hopping-mad Fury, and spread his hands to Hill.
"Oh my, a corpse revival? According to our Eastern traditions, I need to quickly suppress it with a Black Donkey's Hoof, or maybe I should add a few Palm Thunders to shatter his skull so he stays dead for good!" klein feigned surprise, then cracked his knuckles as lightning crackled again.
"Dead is dead, don't linger in the mortal realm. I'll send you down right now and ensure you're thoroughly gone!" As he spoke, lightning surged in klein's palm again as he made a move to strike Fury's forehead.
"Stop! mr. klein! It's a misunderstanding! This is a misunderstanding!" Hill was so frightened she rushed over to block him, saying urgently,
"The Director isn't dead! This is a fake death! It was to deceive the traitors lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D.! People are hunting us everywhere right now, we could only use this method to buy time!"
Only then did klein dissipate the lightning in his hand. Crossing his arms, he looked at Fury, who was still gasping from the shock, and said with a face full of disdain,
"I knew it, the good die young while the scourges live for a thousand years. How could an old fox like you kick the bucket so easily?
Speak up, why did you drag me over here in the middle of the night and put on such a clumsy show of self-injury? If it's to help you regain power, I'm not interested."
Fury rubbed the half of his body that was numb from the electricity, sat up while grimacing, his single eye full of helplessness and gravity.
"klein, the situation this time is worse than you think." He took a deep breath and began to recount the whole story.
It turned out that as early as the 1950s and 60s, S.H.I.E.L.D. had secretly established a grand project codenamed Insight.
But due to factors like technology, ethics, and political resistance, the project had been mothballed.
It wasn't until Thor's arrival and the Battle of New Yorkthat S.H.I.E.L.D. recovered the remains of the Destroyerand the technology of the Chitauri army.
After a period of reverse engineering and integration, the conditions to launch this project were finally met.
"The original intent of the Insight Project was to use three Helicarriers equipped with Superconducting Engines, hovering in low Earth orbit around the clock to build a global surveillance network.
Then, through a predictive algorithm developed by Dr.Zola, perform big data screening on all of humanity to identify all potential threats.
People who might pose a risk to the World order in the future would be eliminated in advance before they could cause harm."
Chapter 155: Dr. Zola
Speaking to this point, Fury's voice carried a hint of lingering fear.
"Initially, this project was promoted as the best defense against supernatural events. But as the carrier construction neared completion, I realized it was something else entirely.
This isn't about protecting humanity; it's about handing the power of life and death over to cold algorithms and the few people who control them!
Once activated, it will eliminate any individual judged to be disobedient or a threat, regardless of their guilt.
I tried to call it off, but it was already too late..."
He clenched his fist suddenly. "HYDRA, which has been lurking in the upper echelons of S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades, believes the time has come.
They launched a surprise attack, attempting to seize control and forcibly activate the Insight Project, placing the World under their dictatorial rule.
I became a stumbling block for them, so they orchestrated this assassination."
Fury looked up, his single eye staring straight at klein. "klein, I'm no longer the Director; I can't offer the generous rewards of S.H.I.E.L.D.
But if HYDRA succeeds, everyone will live under the shadow of an algorithmic dictatorship. I can only ask you to help us, for the sake of our past friendship and to prevent this global disaster."
klein picked his ear and said nonchalantly, "Smashing those three junk ships is easy enough for me alone, but that only treats the symptoms, not the root cause.
HYDRA is like cockroaches. If you don't expose their nest to the light, just stepping on a few is useless; another nest will pop up tomorrow."
"Exactly." Fury nodded. "Destroying the carriers is only the first step. More importantly, we need to obtain concrete evidence of their infiltration to pull them out by the roots.
There aren't many people I can absolutely trust right now; Steve and Natasha are among them.
Steve noticed the internal anomalies long ago and is now being hunted by HYDRA.
He and Natasha have already found some key clues and are heading to a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. data node on Theodore Roosevelt Island to try and download evidence of HYDRA's crimes.
But I'm worried they'll be outnumbered, so I'm asking for your help."
Hearing this, klein made up his mind.
The previous Obadiah, Killian, and even The Mandarin, though formidable, hadn't triggered the system's Lottery Mechanism.
It seems that if I want to keep farming gold coins, I have to stick to the main Avengers storyline and participate in these major events involving the protagonists of destiny to find more superheroes.
"Fine," klein stood up and patted his pants. "I'll take the job. It's a good chance to stretch my limbs and see what these rats in the gutters are capable of."
Fury breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. I'll send you the coordinates. Be careful."
"No need, I can find it." klein waved his hand, and with a flash, he disappeared from the safehouse once again.
On the other side, Steve and Natasha shook off their pursuers and sneaked all the way to Theodore Roosevelt Island.
Stepping onto this overgrown land.
Looking at the rusted iron gates and mottled walls of the abandoned Base, Steve's footsteps paused slightly. As his gaze swept over the familiar outlines of the buildings, he felt as if he had returned to seventy years ago.
In a daze, he seemed to see that heroic figure again and hear Peggy Carter's firm words.
However, having just seen Carter off on her final journey in London not long ago, that sense of loneliness surged in his heart again, making the centenarian's mood even heavier.
"Steve?" Natasha's voice pulled him back to reality.
She keenly caught the loneliness in his eyes but didn't ask further, only lightly patting his shoulder. "The mission is what matters. We need to pick up the pace!"
Steve took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and was the first to push open the creaking iron gate.
Relying on his memories, the two descended all the way into the underground core area. Finally, in a server room filled with server arrays, they encountered Dr. Arnim Zolain the form of a holographic projection.
Dr. Zola's face appeared in pixelated form on an ancient display screen, his voice coming through a distorted speaker.
"Welcome, Captain Rogers, Agent Romanoff. You are faster than expected, but unfortunately, the moment you stepped into this place, your fate was sealed."
Through Zola's narration, a terrifying truth hidden for decades was revealed.
HYDRA never died; it simply cut off one head and grew two more, completely infiltrating and parasitizing S.H.I.E.L.D. like cancer cells.
Now, they have seized control of most vital departments and are preparing to use this to be reborn and bring the World under their control.
"The so-called Insight Project uses algorithms to decide who should live and who should be eliminated." Zola's electronic voice was devoid of emotion. "This is a more efficient, more perfect order. HYDRA will rule the World!"
"You dream of controlling the World!" Steve clenched his fists, fire burning in his eyes. "I could defeat you once, and I can defeat you a second time!"
"Unfortunately, you won't get a second chance." Zola's voice carried a hint of mockery. "The moment you stepped in here, the end was decided. To protect the secret, the missile launch sequence has already been initiated."
A piercing air-raid siren suddenly blared throughout the entire underground Base!
On the main screen, a crimson countdown popped up alongside a simulated trajectory of a ballistic missile, which was rapidly approaching.
[Estimated missile impact time: 60 seconds]
"Damn! It's a trap!" Natasha's expression changed.
"Go!" Steve grabbed her, wanting to rush out, but with only sixty seconds, escaping this labyrinthine underground Basewas impossible.
At this critical moment, the space inside the server room rippled like water. klein's figure appeared out of thin air.
"Yo, quite lively here. I heard someone's trying to set up an algorithmic dictatorship?"
He didn't even look at Zola's pixelated face, giving an order directly in his mind.
"Red Queen, get to work. Devour this old guy's data completely, leave not a single scrap behind."
The moment the command was issued, Zola's image on the screen began to flicker violently, quickly swallowed up by a more powerful digital torrent.
klein grabbed Captain America's arm with one hand and the Black Widow's collar with the other. Power of Spacebegan to surge, preparing to take them away by force.
"Hold on, we're leaving!"
"Wait!" Relying on her Agent instincts, Natasha quickly snatched a black USB drive from the console, gripping it tightly in her palm.
"The evidence must be taken! Done! Let's go!"
"Troublesome!" klein clicked his tongue and grabbed the two again. Enveloped by Power of Space, they vanished instantly.
The very next second after they left, a ballistic missile carrying a high-explosive warhead accurately struck the abandoned Base.
A searing fireball engulfed the entire underground Base, and a mushroom cloud rose into the sky, burying all the secrets the Base held.
Chapter 156: Winter Soldier
The sensation of spatial teleportation felt like being caught in a turbulent whirlpool, yet everything returned to calm in the blink of an eye.
One second, missiles were closing in; the next, the three of them had landed steadily on a secluded residential street.
"Hey! Could you change your hold?!"
The first thing Natasha did after regaining her footing was to irritably swat away klein's large hand from her chest. She straightened her clothes, which had been crumpled by his grip, while warily scanning their surroundings.
"We can't go back to our place, and we can't go to yours either. S.H.I.E.L.D. has your file; they definitely know about our connection to you. There might already be people lying in wait in Brooklyn."
Steve also quickly entered a state of high alert, his gaze shifting toward an ordinary house at the end of the street. "Follow me. This is a friend's place; it's absolutely safe."
"He's a retired pararescue jumper, reliable, and no one knows about our connection."
The three of them hurried through several streets and arrived at the front door of Captain America's friend's house.
Steve had just knocked twice when the door swung open.
The door was opened by a bald Black man wearing a casual hoodie. Seeing Steve and Natasha outside, he was first surprised, then immediately leaned out to warily scan both sides of the street. After confirming they weren't followed, he stepped aside to let the three in.
"Captain? God, what's with the look? The whole city is looking for you!"
"We've been framed, and there's no time to explain the rest, Sam." Steve's expression was grim. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has been infiltrated by HYDRA. We need help."
Sam froze for a moment, then smiled, revealing a row of white teeth. "Alright, Captain. What do you need me to do?"
Sam's gaze then turned toward klein, who was casually munching on an apple he'd picked up from the table. "And this is?"
"A powerful outside consultant with a terrible temper. You can just call him klein," Natasha introduced. "We owe it to him that we got pulled out before the missiles hit."
klein took another bite of the apple. "Bro, this is a good apple. Where'd you buy it?"
"Uh, the supermarket downstairs, on sale..." Sam was taken aback by klein's jumping train of thought, then looked back at Steve. "Captain, what's the plan?"
"Let's plan this out first!"
The four sat around the dining table as Natasha plugged the USB drive they had snatched from the Zola Base into a laptop.
The screen quickly listed the personnel within S.H.I.E.L.D.who had been infiltrated by HYDRA. One name was highlighted specifically.
Hitwell, a senior Advisor to Senator Stern.
"This bald guy is the key." Natasha tapped the screen. "He knows HYDRA's entire plan. If we catch him, we can figure out exactly what they're up to."
"I remember him. He was on that hijacked ship. Looking back, that's very suspicious," Steve interjected.
"Then let's have a chat with him. I'm an expert at kidnapping! Let's not waste time, let's go!" klein tossed the apple core away.
The action plan was quickly formulated.
The next day, with Sam and klein working together, Hitwell was 'invited' directly from a treadmill at the gym into the trunk of a black SUV.
At an abandoned factory, faced with klein's 'physical persuasion,' Hitwell's psychological defenses crumbled faster than expected.
Trembling, he confessed HYDRA's true conspiracy: HYDRAintended to use the Insight Project's Helicarriers to eliminate millions of potential threats globally in one fell swoop to establish a New World Order.
"Where is the next target?" Steve grabbed him by the collar.
"Triskelion. Dr. Zola's algorithm server core is there. Once the upload is complete, the Insight Project will begin!"
"Let's go!" The four of them, with Hitwell in custody, drove onto the interstate, heading straight for S.H.I.E.L.D.headquarters.
However, HYDRA's reaction was faster than anticipated.
As the vehicle was traveling at high speed, a black assault vehicle suddenly rammed them from the side!
Immediately following that, a burly figure descended from the sky, slamming heavily onto the roof, causing the metal to cave in instantly.
"What the hell?!" Sam exclaimed, jerking the steering wheel in an attempt to shake off the uninvited guest on the roof.
With the strength of a single arm, the person tore the reinforced car door open like it was paper. A cold metal arm reached into the car, precisely grabbing Hitwell by the throat and dragging him out.
The window shattered. Before Hitwell could even scream, he was thrown onto the highway and fell to his death.
Immediately after, several vehicles filled with armed personnel forced their car to a stop and began an indiscriminate assault on them.
Amidst the chaos, a figure dressed in tactical gear and wearing a metal mask opened fire frantically with an assault rifle, moving with a speed that didn't seem human.
"The Winter Soldier!" Natasha's expression changed.
klein glanced at the murderous figure. Instead of moving, he leaned back in the car and gestured toward Steve with his chin.
"There, your old friend. I'll leave him to you. Sam and I will clean up the grunts."
Steve didn't catch the hidden meaning behind 'old friend' and simply assumed klein wanted him to handle the strongest one. He raised his shield and charged forward without hesitation.
Shield and metal arm collided violently. The two engaged in a fierce struggle, fighting from the highway bridge all the way down to the ground below.
The Winter Soldier's combat techniques were vicious and lethal. Combined with the terrifying strength of his mechanical arm, every move aimed for a vital spot.
Steve, relying on his wealth of experience and the versatile use of his shield, parried blow after blow.
Finally, during a head-on clash, Steve saw an opening and slammed the edge of his shield hard against the other's mask.
The mask shattered, revealing a face that Steve had dreamed of countless times, yet seeing it now felt like a bolt from the blue.
"Bucky...?" Steve's pupils dilated in shock, his movements freezing instantly. "You're alive?!"
In that moment of distraction, Bucky's eyes remained emotionless. He wound up his mechanical arm and delivered a heavy punch to Steve's chest.
"Who the hell is Bucky?"
Steve let out a muffled groan as he spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward and slamming heavily onto the ground.
Bucky gave him a cold look and turned to leave.
"Trying to run after hitting someone?"
klein's voice rang out abruptly behind him.
Bucky reacted extremely quickly, swinging a heavy punch back with his mechanical arm, only for it to be caught firmly by klein's hand.
"Good strength, but a pity your head isn't clear."
Before the words had even faded, klein's fist, carrying a terrifying sonic boom, landed squarely on Bucky's cheek.
Even a modified super soldier couldn't withstand such a powerful blow. Bucky's body went limp, and he fell unconscious.
"Steve!" Sam and Natasha finished off the surrounding grunts and rushed over.
Natasha helped the injured Steve up while Sam kept a wary eye on their surroundings.
klein hoisted Bucky up like a sack of grain and said to Natasha and Sam, "Don't just stand there, let's get out of here! Sam, let's find another spot!"
Sam immediately found a car. Carrying the unconscious Bucky, the group began their rapid relocation.
Chapter 157: The Fall of HYDRA
The car sped along the road. Natasha pulled back a corner of her tight-fitting combat suit, revealing a hideous old scar on her abdomen.
She pointed at the unconscious Bucky. "This is the Winter Soldier, a living weapon from the former Soviet Union era, one of the top killing machines of the Cold War."
"This scar was his handiwork. If I hadn't been lucky and dodged quickly, I would have died back in Berlin."
Steve looked at Bucky's brow, still furrowed in sleep, his eyes churning with pain and confusion.
The Bucky in his memory was the good brother from Brooklyn with a bright smile who would fight for him. How could he have become a cold-blooded killing machine?
But he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning emotions, and his gaze became firm again.
"We'll deal with Bucky's matter later. The priority is to stop HYDRA. Sam, is there a safe place to put him for now?"
"No need for all that trouble." Hearing this, klein casually waved his left hand toward Bucky, and an imperceptible magical glow merged into Bucky's body.
"I've placed a Calming Charm on him. Within 24 hours, he won't wake up unless there's a strong external stimulus."
"Just throw him in the trunk; it's easier. Hurry up and get to the Triskelion. If we dawdle any longer, it'll be hard to handle once those three iron coffins actually take flight."
When the group drove to the Triskelion, a dull roar already echoed from the distant horizon.
Three massive Helicarriers, like steel whales, were slowly breaking free from the earth's shackles and ascending toward the sky.
"It's too late! Act according to plan!" Steve said sternly.
"Sam, we each take one and replace the control core's chip! Natasha, you go to the ground command center. Win over as many undecided neutrals as possible and take control of the central hub!"
"Understood!"
"klein, the other one is yours!"
"Alright, go on and do your thing." klein waved his hand, his figure flickering as he vanished from the spot.
Sam activated his Falcon flight gear, carrying Steve as they charged toward the nearest Helicarrier.
However, the Helicarrier was already on high alert. The hatches were heavily guarded, and a net of firepower instantly converged on them.
"Captain, it seems they don't intend to invite us in!" Samnimbly evaded the rain of bullets in the air.
"Then we'll force our way in!" Steve spotted a gap and cleared the way with his Vibranium shield, crashing into the ship's interior like a human cannonball.
On the other side, klein teleported directly into the target Helicarrier's core control room.
Facing the stunned HYDRA operators, he didn't bother with words. He released a slight mental shock, and everyone in the room slumped to the ground.
He skillfully found the main control slot, pulled out the original chip flickering with a faint light, and simultaneously connected his consciousness to the Red Queen.
"Red Queen, hack all systems on this ship and gain supreme authority. Be quick."
[Command received. Beginning full penetration and hacking. Estimated time: 2 minutes and 17 seconds...]
"Too slow. I'll give you one minute."
[...Reallocating computing resources. Hacking in progress...]
Meanwhile, on the third Helicarrier, Sam was caught in a bitter struggle.
Having lost the advantage of surprise, he faced a continuous stream of elite HYDRA soldiers. With only his flight wings and conventional weapons, he was struggling to cope and pinned down by intense fire at the corner of a metal corridor.
"Captain! I need backup here! There are too many of them!"
"Hold on! I'm almost there!"
Steve had just finished replacing the chip on his Helicarrier. Upon hearing the news, he immediately piloted a captured flying motorcycle from a HYDRA soldier and flew toward Sam's Helicarrier.
With Steve's arrival, the two fought side by side, finally carving a bloody path and successfully breaking into the control room to complete the chip replacement.
At the same time, Natasha made key progress at the ground command center.
Relying on her knowledge of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and her precise judgment of the situation, she successfully persuaded some technical Officers and security chiefs who hadn't been completely brainwashed or were still on the fence.
After a tense standoff and negotiation, she temporarily took control of several key terminals at the command hub.
"The chips should all be replaced!" Steve's voice rang out over the communication channel.
"receive!" Natasha's hands flew across the console, locking the weapon systems of the three Helicarriers onto each other. "Let them taste their own medicine!"
The three Helicarriers, which had just ascended to their designated altitude, suddenly turned stiffly. Their massive main cannons slowly rotated, their cold muzzles aimed not at ground targets, but at each other.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions erupted one after another, and blinding light from the blasts bloomed in the sky.
The three Helicarriers, which had exhausted most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources, detonated each other in the sky.
Their hulls twisted and broke in the flames, turning into burning wreckage that plummeted into the Potomac Riverand surrounding uninhabited areas, accompanied by thick smoke and debris.
"The plan isn't over yet." Natasha wiped the sweat from her brow and inserted the black USB drive she had been keeping close into the main computer.
"It's time for the World to see what exactly these things hiding in the shadows are."
The Zola Algorithm, the full details of the Insight Project, and decades of HYDRA infiltration records within S.H.I.E.L.D....
Countless top-secret files broke through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal firewalls like a flood, surging onto the public network.
At the same time, klein also finished his work.
He teleported to the command center and pressed his hand on the console, uploading the even more detailed global HYDRA intelligence gathered by the Red Queen.
This included the coordinates of all secret HYDRA Bases, the real names of all sleeper Agents, all financial transactions, and even unexecuted backup plans.
All of it followed the information released by Natasha, made public to the global network without reservation.
At that moment, before the screens of global news media, intelligence agencies, and government departments, there was first a dead silence, followed by a total uproar.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mask was completely torn away, and HYDRA, hidden beneath for decades, exposed its massive and ugly form to the World's gaze for the first time.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion, top-floor office.
Alexander Pierce stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, his expression grim.
Outside, the wreckage of the three Helicarriers was still burning on the Potomac River, smoke obscuring the sky, much like his own gloom-filled mood.
Chaotic news reports on the public channel, piercing alarms and desperate calls on the internal communication channel—all were announcing that the Insight Project, which he had managed for decades and placed high hopes on, had completely failed.
Along with it, the vast network of HYDRA hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. was about to be exposed to the light of day.
"Sir, we must evacuate immediately!" a trusted Agentrushed in.
"Massive data leaks have been detected on all encrypted channels! Our personnel lists and Base coordinates have all been made public!"
"Strike teams and counter-terrorism departments from various countries are moving; our people are being captured rapidly!"
Pierce did not look back, merely watching the falling flames outside silently.
Failed, once again.
But HYDRA never truly dies.
"Activate the Severance Protocol." His voice was terrifyingly calm, showing no hint of panic as he instructed his subordinate.
"Activate all preset misleading information and jamming programs to confuse tracking. Notify the key personnel on the Leviathan and Operation Paperclip lists to evacuate according to Plan B to preset safe houses and overseas strongholds."
"Yes, sir!" The Agent took the order but didn't move, hesitating. "And you..."
"I have my own arrangements." Pierce waved his hand, withdrew his gaze from the window, and turned toward the secret room inside the office.
There was an emergency passage leading directly to a secret underground hangar, which held a disguised quinjet.
It was enough for him to leave the United States unnoticed and head to a secure fortress in South America or Eastern Europe.
"As long as the green hills remain, one need not worry about firewood. As long as the core members and important assets can be transferred, HYDRA still has a chance to rise again."
He walked quickly into the secret room and activated the hydraulic door of the passage. However, at the very moment the metal door slid halfway open...
Chapter 158: Alexander Captured
"Good evening, Alexander. Or should I say, HYDRA's Insight Seer?"
A familiar voice came from the shadows at the entrance of the passage.
Pierce's body stiffened abruptly, his pupils shrinking.
Nick Fury's single eye glinted with a cold light, like a vengeful ghost returned from hell, as he blocked the passage entrance.
His black leather coat was stained with dust and a few scorch marks, clearly having gone through a fierce battle to reach this place, but the Pulse Pistol in his hand was pointed steadily at Pierce without a single tremor.
"Nick..." Pierce quickly suppressed his shock, a trace of regretful expression squeezing onto his face.
"I'm sorry things have developed to this point. But you know, sometimes for a greater order..."
"Save your demagoguery, Pierce," Fury interrupted, his voice filled with suppressed rage.
"For a greater order? Using algorithms to decide the life and death of millions? Placing the World under the dictatorship of a few madmen? Is this the reason you betrayed your S.H.I.E.L.D. oath and the trust of us all?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D. is already corrupt! Corroded by bureaucracy and naive, laughable idealism!" The disguise on Pierce's face finally peeled away, revealing the paranoia and fanaticism of a HYDRA leader.
"It needs to be purified, reshaped! And the Insight Projectis the scalpel! Unfortunately, it was ruined by a few fools and traitors who didn't know better."
"What destroyed it was the most basic desire for freedom deep within the human heart." Fury slowly approached, his muzzle locked onto Pierce's chest.
"Surrender, Alexander. Outside is crawling with people coming to clean up the mess; you have no way out. Accept judgment, and perhaps you can spend the rest of your life in a cell you're familiar with."
"Judgment? Ha ha..." Pierce suddenly chuckled lowly, his gaze becoming dangerous and sharp. "Nick, you're still too nostalgic. Do you think you've won just because you stopped me?"
Before he finished speaking, his wrist suddenly flipped, and a Miniature High-Explosive Device disguised as a cufflink was slammed onto the ground!
At the same time, his other hand pressed a hidden button on the wall with lightning speed.
"Dammit, fuck!" Fury dodged to the side.
Boom!
The miniature explosion wasn't intense, but it instantly released a blindingly bright light and thick smoke, completely obscuring the line of sight,
while simultaneously triggering the office's fire sprinkler system and chaos alarms.
Pierce's figure took the opportunity to retreat rapidly into the depths of the passage!
He activated the preset mechanisms, and several heavy Alloy Gates in the passage began to drop quickly, attempting to seal Fury out.
"You won't get away!" Fury roared. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain and extraordinary combat instincts, he charged through the smoke and alarms, perilously rolling into the passage just before the last gate closed!
The two engaged in a final pursuit and struggle within the narrow emergency passage.
Although Pierce was older, as a senior Agent and high-ranking HYDRA official, his skills were still sharp, and he frequently created obstacles using his knowledge of the passage's mechanisms.
Fury, however, relied on his superior combat experience and sheer rage to keep up the pursuit, the energy beams from his Pulse Pistol leaving scorch marks on the metal walls.
Finally, near the last turn approaching the Underground Hangar, Fury caught a tiny opening Pierce left while activating a hatch,
a precise shot knocking away another weapon Pierce had already raised, followed by a sudden pounce, pinning him firmly to the cold metal floor with a standard grappling technique.
"It's over, Alexander." Fury panted, locking Pierce's hands with Specialized Handcuffs, his single eye staring intently at the other's face, which was filled with resentment and malice.
"Ha... cough..." Pierce coughed with a laugh, but there wasn't much despair on his face; instead, there was a strange sense of mockery.
"Is it really over, Nick? Look at your S.H.I.E.L.D.; it's finished. And if HYDRA cuts off one head, two more shall grow.
Our people are already in every corner of the World. You think you've won just by catching me and releasing some lists?"
Fury didn't answer; he just pulled him up forcefully and escorted him toward the hangar.
He knew Pierce was right; this was only a victory in a battle, not the end of the war.
After this ordeal, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation was in tatters, and its collapse was inevitable.
And HYDRA was like a virus; the hardest to eliminate were always those Agents lurking in the deepest shadows, yet to be discovered.
When they stepped out of the passage and into the relatively open Underground Hangar, the faint sounds of gunfire and commotion from outside had already diminished significantly.
Agents loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and various U.S. forces seemed to be gradually gaining control of the situation on the ground.
But the chaos hadn't fully subsided yet.
Just as Fury was escorting Pierce and waiting for the pickup team, Natasha's somewhat urgent voice came through his Encrypted Communicator.
"Nick, we've controlled most areas, and the core data has been locked down.
However, about three squad-sized HYDRA remnants used high-level clearance the moment the plan was exposed to break through the defenses of the seventh and ninth warehouse districts on the southeast side,
they were well-prepared and moved very quickly; our people couldn't fully stop them."
Fury's heart sank. "What did they take?"
Natasha's voice sounded grave: "Preliminary inventory shows signs of forced entry at Warehouse 084 in the seventh warehouse district. The list of missing items is still being verified, but based on the guards' vague descriptions before losing consciousness and energy residue testing..."
"They likely snatched the Mind Stone previously seized from Loki."
"Mind Stone!"
Fury's single eye instantly narrowed into a dangerous slit.
That bizarre scepter with the power to control human hearts!
He had thought it would be safe sealed in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest-security warehouse, but he hadn't expected HYDRA's infiltration to be so deep that they had already formulated its specific storage location and emergency seizure plan!
Pierce obviously guessed something from Fury's instantly changing expression and the faint sound leaking from the communicator, and that confident, cold smirk reappeared on his face.
"See, Nick? We always have a backup plan. The power of the scepter will find a new user! HYDRA's will never dies!"
Fury ignored his madness and immediately gave orders into the communicator,
"Natasha, track those fleeing squads immediately! Activate all remaining satellites and mobilize every resource we can!
We must recover the Mind Stone! That thing must not fall into the hands of HYDRA remnants!"
"Understood! We're already attempting to track them, but they're using multi-band interference and decoy signals, and their escape routes were meticulously planned.
They might have dispersed into the city's underground pipe network or even prepared for a sea or air pickup. All of this will take time!" Natasha replied.
Fury ended the communication, glanced at Pierce being loaded onto an armored vehicle, and then looked toward the southeast.
That was the warehouse district, the direction where the chaos had not yet fully subsided.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had fallen, and HYDRA had been exposed, but the danger was far from over.
Chapter 159: Bucky's Secret
When Fury, accompanied by Hill and several trusted Agents, hurried outside, he saw klein, Steve, Natasha, and Sam gathered in a relatively intact corridor.
"klein," Fury's single eye scanned the group before settling on klein, his voice carrying a rare solemnity.
"I owe you one for this. Thank you. But S.H.I.E.L.D. is paralyzed right now; I honestly can't offer any reward that matches the help you've given."
"Cut the crap," klein waved him off with a look of disdain.
"I didn't help for the sake of your black face. It was purely for Hill and Natasha's sake. If it were up to you, I wouldn't have even come over."
The corner of Fury's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, but he didn't take the bait.
Beside him, Hill and Natasha couldn't help but let their lips curl slightly before quickly suppressing the smile.
Fury ignored the comment and turned to Steve, asking, "What are your plans now?"
Steve's expression was complicated.
"I plan to take a break for a while. I found Bucky, and he's not right. I want to stay with him and find a way to bring him back to his old self."
Hearing this, Natasha nudged Steve gently with her elbow, gestured toward klein with her eyes, and lowered her voice.
"A master is standing right here, so why are you still trying to figure it out yourself? klein will definitely have a way."
After speaking, she turned to klein and smiled, "klein, am I right?"
"Stop fucking taking on jobs for me!" klein glared at Natasha irritably. "Don't think that just because we've slept together a couple of times you can make decisions for me. You idiot."
Natasha shrugged indifferently, her smile remaining. She knew this man too well; his mouth was as hard as... other parts of him, but his heart was soft.
Steve also realized at this point and turned to klein, requesting sincerely, "klein, please help Bucky. He shouldn't be like this."
"Look at you," klein looked Steve up and down and curled his lip. "A pauper with no money and nothing to offer. What benefit do I get from helping you?"
Steve was choked up, momentarily speechless.
"Fine, fine!" klein waved his hand impatiently. "If you're going to help, help all the way. I'll meddle one more time."
He motioned for Sam and Steve to bring the unconscious Bucky from the trunk of the car and then woke him up.
Once conscious, Bucky let out a Beast-like low growl from his throat and began to struggle violently, subconsciously trying to attack those around him.
"Hold him down!" Steve and Sam immediately lunged forward, with Natasha assisting from the side. It took the combined strength of all three to pin the frenzied Buckyfirmly to the ground.
"What's wrong with Bucky? Does he not remember us at all?" Steve looked at Bucky's unfamiliar eyes, his heart aching like it was being twisted by a knife.
"He's been deeply brainwashed," klein explained while continuing to cast his spell.
"His previous memories were completely sealed or altered, leaving nothing but killing and reactions to specific commands. However, this isn't hard to deal with."
The red light in his palm grew brighter, directly invading the depths of Bucky's consciousness.
Bucky let out a pained roar, his body convulsing violently from the intense mental shock, but he was held down so tightly by the three that he couldn't break free.
As klein's magic delved deeper, the frantic blood-red color in Bucky's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of confusion, followed by endless pain and a surge of chaotic memory fragments.
"AH!!"
After a shrill scream, Bucky's tense body suddenly went limp. He gasped for air, his clothes soaked in sweat, but his eyes had regained clarity, leaving only a daze as if he were in another world.
"Bucky? Do you still recognize me?" Steve asked cautiously.
Bucky slowly rolled his eyes, focusing his gaze on Steve's face. "Steve?"
Hearing that long-lost nickname, Steve's eyes instantly turned red, and he nodded vigorously.
"Is he really back?" Sam asked somewhat skeptically, testing him. "He's not faking it, is he?"
Bucky blinked tiredly. "He once stole his mother's perfume for a date, but he sprayed too much, and the girl was completely repulsed on the spot!"
"Stop, stop, stop! Okay, Bucky! I believe you! You're really back!" Steve quickly interrupted, his face full of embarrassment. However, his heart was completely at ease.
Sam and Natasha shared a smile and released their hold on Bucky.
Under Steve's concerned questioning, Bucky intermittently recounted his fragmented memories.
He remembered being rescued by the Soviets after falling off the cliff, undergoing Super Soldier modification and a mechanical arm transplant, and the long, dark years of brainwashing and control that followed, turning him into the mindless Winter Soldier.
The chain of memory still had many gaps and blurred spots, but at the very least, the consciousness belonging to Bucky Barnes himself had been forcibly pulled back by klein.
Steve tightly gripped Bucky's intact hand. "It's okay, Bucky, it's all over. I'm here now, I'll stay with you, and we'll start over together. Take it slow; everything will be fine!"
He turned to Fury, "Director, I need some time to help Bucky adapt and recover."
Fury looked at Steve and the dazed Bucky, a hint of complexity flashing in his single eye.
Fury's eye looked at Bucky, then at Steve, and finally, he nodded.
S.H.I.E.L.D. existed in name only, and the mess left by HYDRA was enough to keep him busy for a lifetime. He would let Steve and the Winter Soldier go.
At least for now, it seemed the Winter Soldier had indeed recovered some of his sanity.
"Very well. Keep in touch, Steve. You know the rules; if he shows any signs of losing control..."
"He won't," Steve said decisively.
Just as Steve helped Bucky up, preparing to leave with Sam, klein's voice rang out again.
"Wait a minute!"
Everyone looked at him.
klein's gaze fell on Bucky, then slowly shifted to Steve's face.
"While I was sorting through Bucky's chaotic memories, I saw some rather special fragments. I think, Captain, you should hear this."
Steve's heart tightened for some reason. "What is it?"
klein's gaze swept over Fury, Hill, Natasha, and Sambefore he spoke slowly.
"During his time under control, Bucky carried out many missions. On one of them, he killed a couple."
He paused, making sure everyone heard the next words clearly.
"That couple was Howard Stark and his wife, Maria Stark."
"What?!"
"Tony's parents?!"
Except for Fury, who had already vaguely known some clues from the Zola Algorithm and only slightly narrowed his pupils,
the others—including Steve, Sam, Hill, and especially Natasha—all showed looks of shock on their faces.
Fury gave klein a deep look.
He understood that klein had chosen to say this here and now, in front of everyone, to bring the matter completely into the light, avoiding any potential private concealment or future internal fallout.
"No, it's not possible!" Bucky clutched his head, whispering in pain. The memories of the killing that were forcibly awakened made his whole body tremble.
Steve's face was pale, and he subconsciously stepped in front of Bucky, his gaze toward klein filled with struggle.
"klein, Bucky was being controlled! That wasn't his intention!"
"It's useless telling me that. Fury is here, your friend Sam is here, Hill and Natasha are here too. They are all witnesses."
His gaze swept over the group and finally returned to Steve's face. "I know Bucky is your brother. But Tony is also my friend. Steve, I'm only giving you 48 hours."
He held up two fingers.
"Use these 48 hours to think clearly about what to do, how to handle this, and how to face Tony."
After 48 hours, I will personally bring Tony Stark to find you. You should know that no matter where you hide, I can find you.
Tony might have a foul mouth, be arrogant, and have a ton of flaws, but he's a person who values relationships and is kind at his core.
As comrades who once saved New York together, I don't think you should keep things from him, especially regarding his parents' deaths.
Talk it out and be honest with each other. From what I know of Tony, he might not necessarily want Bucky's life; it might just be a bit of physical punishment."
He took one last look at Fury, whose expression was shifting, and gave Steve his final ultimatum.
"Starting now, you have only 48 hours."
With that, before anyone could react, klein's figure rippled like water and completely vanished from the spot.
Chapter 160: Iron Man's Breakdown
Back home, I had barely spent a day being intimate with Wanda when the phone on the nightstand started ringing like a death knell.
Kline took the phone while grumbling; the caller ID showed Tony Stark.
The background on the other end was noisy, a mix of clinking glass and faint music. Tony's voice was slurred, his tongue sounding several sizes too large.
"klein... where are you? Come... come over and drink with me! Now! Immediately! Now!"
"Are you fucking wasted? What's with the late-night craze? You psycho," Kline scolded irritably.
"Cut the crap! If you're a brother, get over here!..." A dull thud came from the other end, like someone falling to the floor, followed by a dial tone.
Kline frowned, sensing something was wrong. Given Tony's showy nature, even if he were drinking, he should be in some top-tier club surrounded by women, not calling him.
He dialed Potts.
"klein? Did you get a call from Tony too?"
"Yeah. What's going on with him? What set him off?"
"I'm not entirely sure. Captain Rogers came to see him this evening, and the two of them talked in the living room for nearly an hour.
After the Captain left, Tony locked himself in the bar and has been drinking ever since... I can't stop him." Pottssighed.
"His mood is very wrong. I've never seen him like this, not even when he announced the closure of the Weapons Division."
Kline understood immediately.
Cap had gone to Tony to confess. And it seemed the confession was quite thorough.
He didn't expect that old-timer Steve to be so honorable; he said forty-eight hours, but he showed up in less than twenty-four.
"I understand. I'll go check on him. Don't worry too much." After a few words to comfort Potts, Kline hung up and turned to Wanda, who was covering her chest with the quilt and looking over with concern.
"Something's up with Tony; I'm going over to check. You go to sleep first."
Wanda nodded obediently and got up to help him with his coat. "Be careful. If you need me..."
"No need, I can handle it. It's probably just a drunkard going wild; I'll go knock him out and come back." Kline put on his clothes, leaned down to kiss her forehead, and vanished from the room in a flash.
The next moment, he was standing in the penthouse living room of Stark Tower.
Tony was slumped in an Italian leather sofa, his shirt wrinkled and open, his tie askew, with several empty whiskey bottles rolling at his feet.
He was still clutching half a bottle, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Hearing the movement, he stiffly turned his neck. Seeing Kline, he forced a smile that looked more like a cry.
"Ha! klein, you're here... Come, come, sit! Drink with me!" He wobbled, trying to sit up straight, nearly sliding off the sofa.
"Drink my foot." Kline walked over, snatched the bottle from his hand, set it aside, and sat down opposite him. "The Captain confessed to you?!"
The smile on Tony's face vanished instantly, replaced by pain, confusion, and self-deprecation.
He lowered his head, thrusting his hands into his hair and pulling hard.
"Am I a massive failure, klein?" he asked out of nowhere, his voice hoarse.
"A failure as a person, a failure as a friend, and a fucking bigger failure as a son!"
He jerked his head up, his eyes bloodshot—whether from the alcohol or something else.
Although he had expected it, hearing Tony speak in such a broken tone still made Kline sigh inwardly.
Tony's eyes were red and bloodshot as he looked straight at Kline. "Steve told me everything. Bucky... the Winter Soldier... my parents' car accident..."
"And then? What did you do?"
"I..." Tony's throat let out a choked sound, and he slammed a fist onto the solid wood tabletop. "I... I could have killed him! I should have killed him!"
Tony waved his arms excitedly again, speaking incoherently.
"But I didn't! I only broke one of his arms! Just one arm! And then I couldn't bring myself to do it! I looked into the Captain's eyes, I saw the state Bucky was in... I fucking couldn't do it!"
Tony covered his face in agony, his shoulders trembling violently. "Am I useless? My parents died so miserably, the killer was right in front of me, and I only broke one of his arms! That's two lives! Am I just letting it go?"
Kline listened quietly, waiting until his emotions settled slightly before speaking slowly.
"Broke an arm? Hmm? Was it the left or the right?"
Tony froze for a moment, not understanding why Kline was asking this, and answered subconsciously, "The left. I hit his left shoulder; the whole arm broke."
"Oh, the left arm." Kline nodded and added flatly, "Then it's fine. His left arm was already severed; they later attached a Soviet-made mechanical arm. What you shattered was likely just a prosthetic."
Tony was stunned. "...What?!"
"I'm saying, Bucky Barnes' left arm was torn off when he fell from the train. HYDRA later fitted him with a mechanical prosthetic. Its performance is decent; it can even clash with the Captain's shield."
"So that hit you just landed, strictly speaking, was equivalent to doing a total loss bodywork job on him," Kline explained solemnly.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!! Cough, cough, cough..." Tony suddenly sprang up from the sofa, grabbed a glass, and downed it. The spicy liquid made him cough violently. "What the hell is this..."
"Alright, stop wailing. At the end of the day, Bucky was a killing tool completely brainwashed and controlled by HYDRA; his own consciousness didn't even exist then.
Your parents were likely silenced because they found some key clues about HYDRA back then.
The Captain took down HYDRA's nest, which counts as indirect revenge for your parents. A life for a life—though you can't really calculate it like that, it is what it is...
From the day you decided to put on the armor and become Iron Man, some things were destined to be different. Seeking vengeance is the way of ordinary people. But a superhero?
Sometimes you just have to endure this kind of shitty helplessness. It's normal that you can't get over this hurdle in your heart. But don't drive yourself crazy."
Kline raised a glass and filled it for Tony. "Tonight, I'll drink with you until we drop. Get some sleep; the Sun will rise tomorrow as usual. As for how to face the Captain and Bucky in the future... that's a problem for tomorrow. Right now, just drink."
That night, Kline stayed with Tony and drank the rest of the stock in the liquor cabinet, listening to him ramble drunkenly about Howard's stubbornness and Maria's tenderness, complain about Steve's old-fashioned morals, curse HYDRA, and curse himself for not being able to follow through.
Kline mostly just listened, occasionally offering a sharp-tongued remark, but mostly just matching him glass for glass.
Finally, when Tony was completely slumped on the sofa, starting to mumble incoherently about repainting the tower with the Mark 42, Kline knew he had reached his limit.
He hoisted Tony up like a sack of potatoes, threw him onto the ridiculously expensive large bed in the bedroom, and haphazardly pulled a quilt over him.
"Go to sleep, Stark. The sky isn't falling."
With this kind of thing, no amount of talk from outsiders helps. The knot in the heart has to be untied by oneself; the hurdle has to be crossed by oneself. Having some emotions and venting them out is better than keeping them bottled up.